Centipedes. They are often called "hundred-
leggers'' and have one pair of legs per segment. They
are long (up to 6'') and wormlike. The 40 to 50 body
segments are flattened, and the head has one pair of
antennae. Some species can bite and penetrate the skin
with their mandibles. Centipedes are beneficial outdoors, feeding on insects and other arthropods.
Amphipods. These are crustacea with a shrimp-like appearance. Amphipods live on the surface (top
1/2'') of mulch and moist ground. They are usually pale-brown when alive. After rains, large numbers of amphipods can migrate into garages or under the doors of
houses. They die quickly in the drier environment and
turn a reddish color. They are often called "lawn
shrimp.''
Earwigs. They have forcepslike cerci that can be
used to capture prey or to defend themselves against
predators. Earwig adults are 1/4'' to 1'' long. Their
bodies are flattened and are pale- to dark-brown. The
antennae are threadlike and about half the length of the body. They are active at night and often crawl into
homes under doorsills. They are attracted to light and
are beneficial, eating insects and other pests.
Millipedes. They are often called "thousand-
leggers'' because they have many legs (two pairs per
body segment). They have many cylindrical body
segments and one pair of short antennae with seven
segments. Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter
and are found in decaying vegetation and mulched
areas. They are nocturnal and are known to have mass
migrations from swampy areas of Florida.
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